Ixworth

Ottwell · Post by **Ottwell** » 22 May 2008, 23:09

Hi All,

We had 22 eggs candled in the incubator and are on day 20 (today), this morning at 7 am one of of the chicks pipped and hatched in about 20 min whilst my two young daughters looked on in amazement. Hooooray!!

We have left it in the incubator to fluff up (which it is doing) but it looks red raw underneth and in between its legs and is dragging a placenta (I'm guessing yolk sack?) around the size of a 50p. It's still not on its feet a lot and sleeps most of the time but wakes up and chirps back when disturbed.

Is this rawness normal, I'm a bit worried?

I have just checked and there are 3 others pipping so he/she is going to have some company soon!

Looking forward to your comments.

Cheers

Ottwell

tuzo2k · Post by **tuzo2k** » 23 May 2008, 13:08

Sounds as if it hatched a bit prematurely as it has not absorbed all its egg sac. Not a lot you can do except wait and see if it survives. Best of luck.

Ottwell · Post by **Ottwell** » 23 May 2008, 14:38

Thanks.

Mother nature beat me to it, the little one died this morning just after I'd decided it was for the chop.

5 others all fit and active and 4 more pipping.

Will keep you posted.

Cheers

Ottwell

woodo · Post by **woodo** » 06 Jun 2008, 09:44

I am after some IXWORTH chicks (any age), how much are they going to cost me?

You guys seem to know your stuff!

2/4 weeks old £?

4/8 weeks old £?

8/POL £?

I have heard a lot about this wonderful bird and want some.

Thank you

And

Madmitch · Post by **Madmitch** » 04 Jul 2008, 20:38

I have two Ixworth.
Where I get them from they are £3.50 when they hatch and then increase by £1.00 a week.

gibralmoro · Post by **gibralmoro** » 07 Aug 2008, 19:29

I`m a complete novice with Ixworths having never had them before. I was fortunate enough to be given 6 supposedly fertile purebred eggs, incubated under a Warren/RIR broody, she produced three chicks 10 days ago (2 eggs proved infertile and one unfortunately died in the latter stages of incubation). They are delightful but seem very nervy and flighty in character, is this normal for the breed ?
I have RIR/Warrens free range & 24 Marrans (8 weeks old) together with the broody mother Warren/RIR and her 3 chicks restricted to the farm yard by electric netting at present due to the fact we do have an occasional fox problem in the area ( which the RIR/Warrens are very aware of and readily take to the trees making a lot of noise to warn us there is a predator about (during daytime of course, at night they are securely housed). Reading former posts, Ixworths are not the brightest sparks in the tinder box, are they likely to need predator protection more than normal ? as I would hate to lose any relatively rare stock to Charlie fox…. Any advice most welcome. Thanks in anticipation…

Meadowgate · Post by **Meadowgate** » 14 Aug 2008, 12:14

We have found that initially Ixworth chicks are quite flighty as well but they do settle down, we think its genetically in bread in them and they seem to have been programmed by Reggie Appleyard to Eat/Grow/Eat/Grow/Eat/Grow/Eat/Grow etc.......and jump in the oven as quick as possible!

It goes without saying if you are concerned about the Old Sly Fox it’s best to keep them protected till they are big enough to handle themselves (you will know when). Ours free range in couple of acres and we have had no problems with them (touch wood), they are always the 1st to peck you for a treat or jump on your lap.

Cheers

Andrea
Meadowgate Farm
E: meadowgatefarm@live.co.uk
W: www.mgf-poultry.mfbiz.com :D

Ottwell · Post by **Ottwell** » 10 Sep 2008, 18:37

Hi,

We have 4 chicks at 5 weeks old chicks and 2 at 12 weeks, all are destined for the table.

We have not eaten any Ixworth’s yet , at what age would you putting them to the sword?

I know people say you will know when they are ready but there must be an ideal 2/3 week window for culling?

We want to roast them.

Ours free range on about 4 acres.

Meadowgate I see from your location you must be close to me!

Any advice welcome

Ottwell

Greenmoth · Post by **Greenmoth** » 06 Jan 2009, 20:08

hiya, just been reading this thread, thought i'd say hi, my ixworths are very fertile, i have 2 strains, one from a chap in lancashire one from julian kaye in yorkshire. ive never had a problem with fertility, are you sure its not just incubation you have probs with? they have thick shells and ive found a higher level of humidity helps in the last week. They're a very tastey bird, and i think it would be a shame for them to be crossed with another breed because people assume theyre rare and infertile, marsh daisies are much rarer and inbred but never have fertility probs. Ixworths arent really very rare at all if you know where to look, there are lots of keepers in the country and all that ive spoken to haven't had hatch probs or fertility probs with theirs.
Emily

ps, i rear mine in sheds and at 6 weeks they go out to grass, fed on growers pellet and plenty of wheat, at around 20 weeks i pen them in a small area, because they do get tough if left to roam, theyre still able to move with plenty of space of course but not as much as before. in this time they get wheat and barley soaked in milk (we have channel island milk on tap) and on this they seem to broarden up and have superb taste, word of warning, they dont have skin like most chickens and you cant make it crispy, its like a ducks skin.

happychik · Post by **happychik** » 08 Feb 2009, 01:02

Hi Greenmoth, Please could you let me know if you sell hatching eggs? thank you :-)

Meadowgate · Post by **Meadowgate** » 10 Feb 2009, 16:33

happychik wrote:Hi Greenmoth, Please could you let me know if you sell hatching eggs? thank you :-)

Hi Happycik, we can help

Just drop us an email.

Cheers

Andrea
Meadowgate Farm
E: meadowgatefarm@live.co.uk
W: www.mgf-poultry.mfbiz.com

happychik · Post by **happychik** » 11 Feb 2009, 23:31

Will do, thank you

Ardtrea · Post by **Ardtrea** » 29 Apr 2009, 14:21

Here is some pics of my new Ixworths. I hope that these will breed the birds that will go into my laying trials next year. i plan on updating the pics every week so that i will be able to look back at them when i find out if they are hens/roosters. Hopefully this will help people sex them earlier. I also have another 8 eggs due this week and will do the same with them.

http://s654.photobucket.com/albums/uu27 ... velopment/

Meadowgate · Post by **Meadowgate** » 29 Apr 2009, 16:47

Ardtrea wrote:Here is some pics of my new Ixworths. I hope that these will breed the birds that will go into my laying trials next year. i plan on updating the pics every week so that i will be able to look back at them when i find out if they are hens/roosters. Hopefully this will help people sex them earlier. I also have another 8 eggs due this week and will do the same with them.

http://s654.photobucket.com/albums/uu27 ... velopment/

Hi Ardtrea,

I have just had a look at your lovely pics of your chicks and sorry to burst your bubble

but your chicks all have yellowy/brown legs.

This is a kick back in the breed and one of the 1st signs that your Ixworth line is starting to fail, has failed or has been crossed!

On pure Ixworth lines the legs should be pink/white, you can sometimes get the odd kick back in a hatch but when all of the hatch have them alarm bells start to ring.

I recently saw an Ixworth cock win 1st prize at a show and unbelievably it had bright yellow legs!!!

Can anyone else back me up on this one?

Cheers

Andrea

Ardtrea · Post by **Ardtrea** » 29 Apr 2009, 20:16

These birds have come via two very well known english breeders and are from a unrelated trio. Below is a pic of some birds from the same parents taken outside and you can see the legs are a lighter colour.

http://s654.photobucket.com/albums/uu270/Ardtrea/

If they are proved to be cross breeds they will have to go.

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